Most Unusual Festivals Around The World In April

Traditions and festivities often don’t make sense, but they can be a lot of fun. We love unusual festivals as they give us a whole new insight as to what’s important to other cultures. April is a month filled with unique and unusual festivals around the world. From chasing cheese down a hill to dancing with wooden phalluses, these festivals are sure to make you wonder about the traditions and cultures they come from. Here are some of the unusual festivals occurring this April around the world.

Naghol Land Diving, April 2-June 27, Pentecost Island
This festival marks the beginning of the yam harvest. In order to appease the gods, men climb up a spiked tower, attach jungle vines to themselves and jump off to prove their manhood. If you think it sounds dangerous, that’s because it is. It’s pretty common for individuals to break a few bones or even die. This festival is considered a rite of passage for young men. Those who make it unscathed get to celebrate afterward.

Songkran (Thailand) April 13th
Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year national holiday. Songkran means ‘to move’ or ‘movement’ in Thai. The festival takes place on April 13th but extends until the 15th. This meaningful festival for Thailand marks the start of the New Year. It is known for its water fights, water is splashed on statues of Buddha for good luck. Locals and tourists alike splash water on each other as a symbol of purification and renewal. The festival also involves pouring scented water over Buddha statues, visiting temples, and participating in cultural activities. It is also common for Thai people to visit temples and offer food such as preserved items and clothing such as new robes to the monks. Many people also release fish and birds back to their habitat which is part of the Buddhist belief that giving animals their freedom returns good fortune.

Afrikaburn, April 24-30, Tankwa Karoo National Park
This South African art festival is pretty timid, yet interesting. The main centerpiece is a sculpture called San Clan and is rather large in nature. Festival goers claim that there is a real sense of community with individuals walking around with oranges and making fresh orange juice on the spot while others called Monks of Moop walk around picking up trash the entire time. People create art, costumes, perform.

Baisakhi (India) April 13-14
Baisakhi is a spring harvest festival that is celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus in the northern Indian state of Punjab. The festival takes place on April 13th to mark the beginning of spring and involves processions, temple decorations, parades, folk music, and traditional Punjabi food. One of the most important parts of the festival is the Gurdwara procession, where people visit the local Sikh temple to offer prayers and participate in communal meals. Baisakhi usually signifies the end of the harvest season.

Phallus Festival (Kawasaki Japan) April 2-8
The Phallus Festival, or Kawasaki Kanamara Festival, takes place in Kawasaki, Japan, on the first Sunday in April. The festival features three phallic portable shrines and is dedicated to the male genitalia and is believed to bring good luck and fertility. The festival involves parading wooden phalluses through the streets, as well as traditional music, food, and drinks. Kanayama Shrine is the venue for the festival.

Koningsdag – King’s Day, April 27, Amsterdam
Dutch National holiday with a festival that celebrates the welcoming of a new king. Koningsdag, or King’s Day, is a national holiday in the Netherlands that takes place on April 27th. The day celebrates the birthday of King Willem-Alexander and is marked by parades, live music, and traditional Dutch food and drink. It’s a festival where participants can do pretty much anything. It’s considered to be one of the wildest events that take place in Amsterdam each year. The color of choice on this day is orange. That’s because it is the royal family’s color. It’s not uncommon to see festivalgoers adorned in head to toe in bright orange.

Feria de Abril (Seville Spain) April 23-29
The Feria de Abril is a spring festival that takes place in Seville, Spain, two weeks after Easter. The festival involves dancing, music, traditional food and drinks, dancing, rides, and games for children. One of the highlights of the festival is the casetas, which are temporary tents set up by families and groups of friends for dancing and socializing. It started in 1847 as a cattle fair and quickly became part of a yearly celebration in Seville.

Thrissur Pooram Elephant Festival, April 30-May 1, Thrissur
Annual Hindu festival in Kerala India. This is one of the most colorful festivals that occurs in India each year. On the final day 15 elephants are all decked out in costumes as they make their way through town marching from the Thiruvambadi temple to the Vadakkunnathan temple. In addition to the elephants, there are also fireworks and a lot of loud music. This festival is over 200 years old and seems to become more lavish each year.

Takayama Spring Festival, April 14-15, Takayama City
This festival is popular among locals and tourists. This annual festival of Hie Shrine and celebrates the coming of spring. It features many lavish floats. The floats are pretty elaborately made with many different mechanical dolls. There’s also a shrine called ‘Mikoshi’ that’s also included in the parade. Throughout both days of the festival, there are dance routines and a variety of performers.

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